Series Is a Breakout Hit

Clipper guard Cuttino Mobley, right, throws a fist in the air after hitting a three-pointer during first quarter of Monday's 101-83 victory over the Denver Nuggets at Staples Center.

Clipper guard Cuttino Mobley, right, throws a fist in the air after hitting a three-pointer during first quarter of Monday's 101-83 victory over the Denver Nuggets at Staples Center. (Richard Hartog / LAT)

It was the franchise's first playoff series victory in 30 years. The Buffalo Braves defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the 1976 Eastern Conference playoffs, and the Clippers finally have something to show for their time in California.

"This is a great feeling," said power forward Elton Brand, who had 21 points and 13 rebounds. "I might not really appreciate it until we start the second round, but it's been 30 years in the making.

"We're proud of the Clipper Nation for sticking in there with us after all these years. We're trying to start our own tradition and win some more playoff series."

"We've come a long way," Sterling said. "And we have a long way to go."

He would know. The franchise moved to the Southland before the 1978-79 season, and it took four playoff appearances for the Clippers to join the Braves in the win column. The Clippers had the longest drought in league history between winning playoff series.

That didn't matter Monday as the Clippers delivered a close-out victory that might have helped set the stage for another milestone moment.

The Clippers and Lakers appear on a collision course to meet in the Western Conference semifinals, and the in-house showdown would be set if the Lakers end the Phoenix Suns' season tonight in Phoenix.

The Lakers lead, 3-1, in that best-of-seven first-round series, and the Clippers will be watching TV tonight.

"We respect them, and we know that they respect us," point guard Sam Cassell said. "We handled our business, hopefully they'll handle their business, and then we can just get it on. No holds barred, baby, let's go."

The Clippers tuned up against Denver.

Coach Mike Dunleavy had all the answers for the Nuggets, designing defensive schemes that contained star forward Carmelo Anthony.

On Monday, Anthony scored 23 points, but missed 16 of 24 shots. He shot 33.3% for the series, and the Nuggets weren't much better, shooting 38% as a team for the five games.

With their No. 1 option neutralized, the Nuggets weren't up to the task against the balanced Clippers.

"You've got to take your hat off to the Clippers," Anthony said. "Dunleavy threw everything he could to try to stop me, and to try to stop us from getting in rhythm, and they succeeded at that."

Maggette had 23 points and Livingston, who appears to be growing quickly with the stakes rising, had eight points and set a franchise playoff record with 14 assists.

"I'm just not really letting the intensity level affect me," Livingston said. "Obviously, it's a playoff atmosphere, and I'm new to the game, but I'm just coming in, knowing I belong out there."

And the Clippers said they're where they belong.

"This is definitely why I came here," said Mobley, who singed as a free agent in the off-season. "When I signed, a lot of guys [around the league] had little jokes and things like that. They said our season would end in January. It's May, and the Clippers are still playing, baby. How about that?"

*

(INFOBOX BELOW)

Blast from the past

The Clippers, formerly the Buffalo Braves, won their first playoff series Monday since the 1975-76 Braves. A look back at that team:

HARRISBURG — The State Supreme Court has rejected Attorney General Kathleen Kane's attempt to throw out a grand jury investigation into whether she or someone in her office leaked investigative secrets to a newspaper to discredit critics.

Catasauqua police officer Scott M. Rothrock had already been stabbed once in the chest with a 13-inch butcher knife and was trying to block more thrusts as he lay on his back in a snow bank Feb. 23 in east Allentown.